Every child born today should experience a lifetime of opportunity. Education is central to this.

“Everyone is always saying that we need to make our kids ready for school, but why can’t we make schools ready for our children?” - MK Turner OAM, First Nations Educators’ Network, Children’s Ground

Too many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are failing in mainstream education in Australia – either because they cannot access education or because the education that is offered sets them up to fail. 

Evidence points to the fact that kids learn better, and show improved academic achievement, when they are learning in their First Language and Culture, and when their learning process reflects their identity and worldview.

“When taught first in their own languages, children learn better, are more self confident and transfer their literacy and numeracy skills to additional languages.  Children who start formal education in a second or foreign language are much more likely to experience frustration and failure, resulting in higher dropout rates for these children".  UNESCO 2018

Learning one’s own language and culture is not a privilege: it is is a human right.  

Article 14 of the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous people recognised and enacted in Australia 

1. Indigenous peoples have the right to establish and control their educational systems and institutions providing education in their own languages, in a manner appropriate to their cultural methods of teaching and learning. 

Support us to establish a First Nations-led education system in Australia.

Australia is 40 years behind other countries. The work we are doing at Children’s Ground is showing that when kids have access to education in their First Language and Culture, they become engaged, active and confident learners.

Listen to the voices of First Cultural educators and Professors from Utyerre, Apanpe, a National Network who with Children’s Ground are leading reform.

https://vimeo.com/393825482

Utyerre Apanpe is supported by Children’s Ground who are leaders in First Nations led education. The brilliant young minds of the National Indigenous Youth Education Coalition (NIYEC) are also key partners in this important network. 


Walk with us as we advocate for National Education Reform.  

Walk with us to show the Federal Government that Australian’s care about the education and wellbeing of our First Nations children.

Utyerre Apanpe has a clear strategy to redesign education for First Nations children. Utyerre Apanpe is led by cultural professors recognised through Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander law and practice with a fraternity of educators from 15 different nations. And it is and growing.  
 
Children’s Ground is a leader in First Nations led Education as part of the full Children’s Ground Approach. The 25-year Approach focuses on key areas that are fundamental to life-long wellbeing for every child. We aim to show through evidence what can be achieved when the system is designed for and with the people it serves. This evidence is used to advocate for systems change. We are promoting national reform for policy and practice in the following key areas: integrated delivery, health promotion, early years learning, education, employment and governance.